Supporting base for ornamental objects



Oct. 3, 1961 c. F. PERKINS 3,002,721

SUPPORTING BASE FOR ORNAMENTAL OBJECTS Filed June 15, 1960 INVENTOR.

- CHARLES E PERKINS BY M afM 1477' O/P/VE Y The present invention relates to an improved base for ornamental objects. In a more specific aspect, the present invention relates to an improved detachable base for ornamental objects, such as Christmas trees and the like.

Heretofore many and varied detachable bases have been provided for ornamental objects such as Christmas trees. However, all such bases have inherent disadvantages which limit their usefulness. In some cases, overall stability must be sacrificed in order to keep the bulk of the base to a minimum. In other cases, the base clamps to only a very small portion of the lower end of the object supported and thus vertical stability is sacrificed. In still other cases, means are provided for clamping the end of the object supported from two opposing sides but not from all four sides and such bases, therefore, lack horizontal stability. In addition, those prior art devices designed to overcome this lack of vertical and horizontal stability are either difficult to attach to the object to be supported or are difficult to detach.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved base for ornamental objects.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved base for ornamental objects wherein positive clamping of the object supported from all four sides is provided.

Another and further object of the present invention is to provide an improved base for ornamental objects wherein positive clamping of a substantial portion of the lower end of the object supported is provided.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved base for ornamental objects whose stability can be further enhanced by the addition of a weighting agent.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be obvious from the following detailed de scription of the present invention when read in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the base of the present invention,

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of the base of the present invention with the front end removed, and

FIGURE 3 is a right hand elevation of the base of the present invention with the right end removed.

Referring now to the drawings, a container 1 having an open top is provided. Container 1 may be of any desired shape, such as square, round, octagonal, etc. Preferably, container 1 is watertight to permit the disposition therein of bulking agents such as water, dry or wet sand, or the like. When the base is used as a holder for a Christmas tree, the use therein of water or wet sand not only adds stability to the base but also serves to provide moisture to the tree and extend its useful life. Furthermore, because of the open-top construction of container 1, the bulking agent can be easily added and removed. Obviously, if container 1 is sufliciently large and heavy it may be open at the bottom also. Fixedly attached to the inside of container 1 is cross member 3 which spans container 1 near the center thereof. Passing through cross member 3 are bolts 5. Slidably mounted tates I atent,

on bolts 5 and parallel to cross member 3 is movable cross member 7. Movable cross member 7 may be equal in length to cross member 3 or somewhat shorter provided it is of suflicient length to permit mounting on bolts 5. Movable cross member 7 may also be :slightly longer than cross member 3 and be supported in suitable depressed ways in container 1. Movable cross member 7 may be moved toward or away from cross member 3 and clamped against the lower end 9 of a Christmas tree or the like by adjustment of wing nuts 11. Fixedly attached to container 1 and spanning container 1 near the center thereof is cross member 13. Cross member 13 is perpendicular to cross member 3, as shown, and is located above cross member 3 in container 1. Bolts 15 pass through cross member 13 and slidably support movable cross member 17. Movable cross member 17 is adjusted into clamping engagement with the lower end 9 of the object supported by means of wing nuts 19.

From the above description, it is obvious that the lower end 9 of a Christmas tree or the like may be placed in the central square opening formed by cross members 3, 7, 13 and 17. With the lower end 9 of the tree in this position, wing nuts 11 and 19 are tightened to clamp lower end 9 tightly in position. Thereafter, container 1 may be filled with a bulking agent such as sand or water.

Due to the arrangement of cross members 3 and 7 perpendicular to cross members 13 and 17, object 9 is positively supported on all four sides. In addition, the arrangement of cross members 3 and 7 near the bottom of container 1 and the location of cross members 13 and 17 near the top of container 1 results in support of a comparatively long portion of object 9 and thus results in improved vertical stability. Finally, it is also clear that the simplicity and arrangement of the clamping members makes the job of attachment and detachment of the base relatively easy.

It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that the base of the present invention may be constructed of wood, metal or plastic. In addition, other adjusting and clamping means may be substituted for bolts 5 and 15 and wing nuts 11 and 19 without departure from the present invention. Other and further substitutions of equivalents will become apparent to one skilled in the art.

Therefore, the present invention is limited only in accordance with the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An improved base for ornamental objects comprising an upstanding enclosure, a first cross member fixedly attached to the inside of said enclosure near the lower end thereof and spanning said enclosure near the center thereof, a first movable cross member movably supported on the first fixed cross member and parallel thereto, first adjusting bolts passing through said first fixed cross member and said first movable cross member and capable of moving said movable cross member toward said fixed cross member and clamping an object between said cross member, a second cross member fixedly attached to the inside of said enclosure near the upper end thereof perpendicular to said first fixed cross member and spanning said enclosure near the center thereof, a second movable cross member movably supported on the second fixed cross member and parallel thereto, and second adjusting bolts passing through said second fixed cross member and said second movable cross member and capable of moving said movable cross member toward said fixed cross member and clamping an object between said crossvmembers.

2. An improved base in accordance with claim 1 wherein the upstanding enclosure is a container closed at the 5 References Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Clifton May 11, 1926 Krastel et a1. Nov. 11, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Feb. 6, 1931 

